By Josh Bootsma
LANSING, Ill. (November 18, 2020) – At Tuesday night’s Village Board meeting, three former Lansing firefighters were recognized with plaques and a round of applause: Lieutenant Ray Wagner (retired), Firefighter Dave Schmidt (retired), and Firefighter Kent Wagenaar (10 years).
Wagner started with the department in 1976, Schmidt in 1998, and Wagenaar in 2010 after five years as a cadet. According to Fire Chief Chad Kooyenga, the men represent the last of the Paid-on-Call personnel at the Lansing Fire Department. Kooyenga described them as the “backbone of our community.”
After the plaque presentation, Wagner presented a check for $4,000 to the Lansing Fire Department Memorial Fund on behalf of the Lansing Paid-on-Call Firefighters.
